'Communication Is a Human Right' Ecuadorean Lawmakers Say

Ecuador's National Assembly on Thursday approved legal provisions to transform "communication" into a "human right.".

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By doing so, they invalitated the definition of communication as a"public good", which was defended by former President Rafael Correa (2007-2017).

In 2019, President Lenin Moreno proposed that "social communication" be conceived as a human right rather than a public service.

After analyzing his proposal, the Parliamentary Commission on Communication highlighted that public services are decided and controlled by the State and cannot be normally delegated to individuals. 

The Commission also pointed out that social communication as an activity is not limited to the provision of State services given that the exercise of the right to free speech does not require a State delegation.

In 2018, lawmaker Karina Arteaga presented the amendment that was ruled out by ex-Parliament chairwoman Elizabeth Cabezas.

This time, however, 126 legislators approved unanimously the new way of understanding communication. It will be sent to the Executive branch for its final approval.